Falling in the Black
by GraecusUnknown
Summary: "Never have I felt more alone.  Everything was torn away from me. My sister, my home, my very life! They took it all. It's all black now, it seems. And I'll be falling in it forever."   Set after SkyClan leaves the forest, Rating subject to change.
1. Introduction

Across the clearing, eyes that glowed yellow under the light of the moon flashed. Soundlessly, a small band of cats slunk into the pines of unfamiliar territory. The shadows turned every pelt dark, but the pine needles of the forest floor didn't provide as much cover as they were used to.

"Redstar?" questioned a smaller she-cat, "Are you sure about this?"

"You're not turning back now, are you Littleshadow?" replied a large tom with a slight authoritative growl, "This land is rightfully ours. It is bound time we claimed it."

"...It's SkyClan's land..." she replied, looking around at the pines where the forgotten clan used to leap to catch their mainly avian prey, "We have no right to be here."

"_SkyClan," _hissed a green-eyed tabby tom from behind her, "Is gone. This land belongs to ThunderClan now!"

"Quiet, Nettleclaw," came a warning hiss from a gray she-cat, Seedpelt.

"Why should I be? We're alone," he retorted, flicking his tail.

"So sure of that, are you?" came a hiss from across the clearing. It was echoed by many low growls and muted caterwauls.

Redstar growled, stepping into the light of the moon. His amber eyes flashed with anger as his claws slid from dark ginger paws, "Swiftstar, what are you doing here?"

"The same thing you're doing, Redstar," said the older black and white tom, beginning to circle with the larger ginger, "My clan is the largest clan in the forest! We have a title to the land we need!"

"Mouse-dung eating fur-brain!" Yowled Nettleclaw, "You don't have any claim on this land! Your warriors aren't trained to hunt in the forest!"

"We could learn," growled Swiftstar, "And don't speak to me in such a disrespectful tone, Warrior! You talk like you are any more prepared to hunt in the pines!"

"You're an old fool," growled Redstar, then yowled behind him, "ThunderClan, to me!" This command brought his warriors to his side, all of then bristling against the leaf-fall chill and growling and hissing insults at the other side, claws at the ready for a fight to the death.

Then the command came.

"WindClan! Attack!"

"Sylvester! Wake UP!" mewed a she-cat, pouncing on a gray tabby that was mewling in his sleep.

"Gah!" The tabby started awake, Sylvester looked at the she-cat and started to shiver at the horror of his vision, "Cats. They were about to fight. Th-they charged each other... in the woods... they were right outside our door! In the pines!" He cried, bolting outside. And he heard the strangest sound in the world.

Silence. Nothing was happening. There were no battle cries and no shrieks of pain, just an eerie silence, as if the night had seen the vision, too.

"Sylv, there aren't any cats fighting out there," said the mottled gray she-cat, "But wouldn't it be amazing if there were?" She said wistfully.

"It wouldn't be _amazing," _said Sylvester in disgust, "Grace, it would be _horrible_! They were fighting about something _extremely_ important!" He exclaimed, emphasizing everything, stressing the importance of his "dream".

"Sylvester, calm down," said Grace, flicking her tail over her brother's shoulder, "It was just a nightmare."

Sylvester sighed, "Maybe you're right..." he mewed to her, but after she walked off, he looked up at the moon, "But it felt so real..."

=(^-^)=

**FALLING IN THE BLACK**

**Allegiances: **

**#ThunderClan#**

**Leader:** Redstar- muscular dark ginger tom with amber eyes

**Deputy:** Seedpelt- gray she-cat with darker flecks and green eyes

**Medicine Cat:** Krestelwing- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Apprentice: Ashpaw**

**Warriors: (Toms and She-cats without kits) **

Brindletail- tawny she-cat with a white splash on her muzzle and amber eyes

**Apprentice: Gorsepaw**

Nettleclaw- gray tabby tom with dark gray stripes and bright green eyes

Littleshadow- small lanky black she-cat with amber eyes

**Apprentice: Spottedpaw**

Nightfang- black tom with a white fang sticking out of his broken jaw, green eyes

Echoleap- tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with long legs and amber eyes

Cherryfoot- ginger she-cat with white forepaws and chest, amber eyes

**Apprentice: Featherpaw  
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Thrushwhisper- calm light brown tom with green eyes

Hollyslash- ginger and white she-cat with oddly long claws

**Apprentice: Yellowpaw**

Squirrelpelt- gray tom with a white underside and a fluffy tail, blue eyes

Addertail- brown tabby tom with green eyes

Goldstrike- golden furred tom with long claws

**Apprentices: (Cats under Six Moons in training to become warriors) **

Spottedpaw- light brown tabby she-cat with long, fluffy fur and amber eyes

Gorsepaw- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Ashpaw- gray tabby tom with fine points and blue eyes; Medicine Cat Apprentice

Featherpaw- slim mottled gray and white she-cat with blue eyes

Yellowpaw- light ginger tom with yellow eyes and a white muzzle

**Queens: (she-cats nursing or expecting kits)**

Birdflight- light brown tabby she-cat with long, fluffy fur and amber eyes

Cloverpetal- fluffy gray she-cat with white paws and green eyes; Mother of Nightfang's kits: **Pepperkit **(gray tom with black flecks and green eyes) and **Mistkit **(fluffy gray she-cat with tabby points and blue eyes)

Hazelheart- silver tabby she-cat with green eyes; expecting Redstar's kits

**Elders: (retired warriors) **

Bluegaze- deaf white she-cat with bright blue eyes

Cloudwhisker- gray and white tom with blue eyes and long whiskers

**=Shadowclan=**

**Leader:**Dawnstar- graceful creamy brown she-cat with brilliant green eyes

**Deputy:** Spiderstrike- brown and gold tabby with amber eyes and long limbs

**Medicine cat:** Darkpoppy- dark gray tabby she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentice: Briarpaw**

**Warriors: **

Stonedust- gray tom with blue eyes

Hawkeyes- brown tabby tom with piercing green eyes

Oakclaw- dark brown sleek tom with yellow eyes

**Apprentice: Duskpaw**

Crowgaze- jet black, long-furred she-cat with dark gray eyes

Smokestorm- gray long-furred tom with amber eyes

Raindrop- small pale-gray and white she-cat with icy-blue eyes and a black tail-tip

Redstreak- dark ginger tom with green eyes

**Apprentice: Wolfpaw**

Falconstrike- dark reddish-brown tabby tom with a black stripe down his back and gold eyes with flecks of orange in them

Blossomwhisker- pale cream she-cat with blue eyes

Patchfoot- white tom with a black forepaw, leaf green eyes

**Apprentice: Blackpaw**

Skypool- long furred light gray and white she-cat with blue eyes

**Apprentices: **

Duskpaw- cream she-cat with fawn points and green eyes

Briarpaw- dark brown she-cat with tabby points and blue eyes; Medicine Cat Apprentice

Wolfpaw- bulky longhaired gray tom with amber eyes

Blackpaw- black she-cat with violet eyes

**Queens: **

Owlmask- silver she-cat with a white "mask" around blue eyes; Expecting Hawkeyes's kits

Sorrelpelt- creamy she-cat with amber eyes; Mother of Falconstrike's kit: Rowankit(dark reddish-brown tom with amber eyes)

**Elders: **

Darkflame- dark gray tom with a white tail tip and one white forepaw, gold eyes

**~Riverclan~**

**Leader:** Birchstar- light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**Deputy:** Brackenfoot- golden brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Apprentice: Pebblepaw**

**Medicine Cat:** Honeystream- mostly brown she-cat with some golden splotches and green eyes

**Warriors: **

Leafstep- white she-cat with speckled brown paws and green eyes

Goldenwing- fluffy golden-brown she-sat with amber eyes

Browntail- brown tabby tom with a white underbelly and paws, blue eyes

Lightningflame- ginger tom with a white chest, the chest has a protruding, jagged patch of ginger on it, green-gold eyes

Frostfoot- dark gray she-cat with lightly white tinged paws

Blackstorm- jet-black tom with a white blaze on his forehead and green eyes

**Apprentice: Palepaw**

Twilightfur- black she-cat with white spots and dark blue eyes

Silverstripe- silver tabby she-cat with white paws, underbelly, chest, and blaze on forehead, blue eyes

**Apprentice: Otterpaw**

Snowear- a fluffy white she-cat with blue eyes, deaf

Snakebelly-black tom with slightly darker stripes and a pure white underbelly, green eyes

Wildwater- tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with ginger ears, black forepaws, and blue eyes

**Apprentices: **

Pebblepaw- spotted gray and white she-cat with green eyes

Palepaw- pale ginger she-cat with a white chest, underbelly, muzzle, tail-tip, and paws, large blue eyes

Otterpaw- sleek brown tom with long whiskers, green eyes

**Queens: **

Fawnflower- brown tabby she-cat with white paws, chest, and underbelly with big green eyes like a fawn; Mother of Lightningflame's kits**: Tigerkit** (brown tabby tom with a slender build and gold-green eyes) and **Redkit **(slender dark ginger tom with green eyes)

Specklepath- light brown speckled she-cat with amber eyes; Expecting Blackstorm's kits

Doveflight- light gray tabby she-cat with white and darker gray flecks, green eyes; expecting kits

**Elders: **

Brokenleap- black tom with green eyes

Meadowsight- light brown tom with grass-green eyes

**-Windclan- **

**Leader:** Swiftstar- old dark gray-black tom with green eyes and a long tail

**Deputy: **Flamefang- muscular bright ginger tom with amber eyes

**Medicine cat:** Larkwing- Silver and Black tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**Warriors:**

Orangewhisker- bright orange tabby tom with a white chest, underbelly, tail-tip, paws, and blaze on forehead, dark blue eyes

**Apprentice: Berrypaw**

Mudstreak- small dark brown tom with white streaks all over his pelt , green eyes

Iceclaw- pure white tom with orange-amber eyes; Mates with Tinybreeze

Ferndapple- mottled pale-gray she-cat with darker flecks and bright blue eyes, long feathery tail

**Apprentice: Blazepaw**

Tinybreeze- small brown she-cat with cream splashes and amber eyes; Mates with Iceclaw

**Apprentice: Tallpaw**

Foxfoot- ginger tom with amber eyes

Ravenwing- black long-furred she-cat with smoky green eyes

**Apprentice: Nimblepaw**

Dustfeather- light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Whiteflower- white she-cat with gold amber eyes

Sandstripe- dusty ginger she-cat with a dark ginger stripe running down her back, amber eyes

**Apprentice: Harepaw**

**Apprentices: **

Berrypaw- bright ginger she-cat with yellow eyes, white paws, white chest, white belly

Blazepaw- dark ginger and white she-cat with green eyes

Tallpaw- tall black and white tom with blue eyes

Nimblepaw- lithe brown she-cat with green eyes

Harepaw- small gray tom with a white underbelly and rather large green eyes

**Queens: **

Grayfang- dark gray she-cat with a fang hanging out of her mouth, green eyes; Mother of Mudstreak's kits; **Soaringkit **(gold and brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes), **Runningkit** (lithe brown tom with a long tail and green eyes), and **Leopardkit** (gray she-cat with darker spots)

**Elders: **

Bramblepelt- spiked brown tom with amber eyes

Breezeheart- black she-cat with blind green eyes, nearly deaf


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

A shimmering cat gazed into the silvery water of the pool before her, her amber eyes contemplating what they had just seen. "Thunderstar," she mewled to the tom next to her, who's sturdy, muscular frame seemed to daunt her lithe, sleek one in comparison. "Are you... sure about them? We have never brought a Kittypet into the forest before..."

"I am certain that they're the ones we're looking for!" said the large tom, the power in his voice making his namesake clear as he stepped forward to the brown she-cat. "They will be the Fire that was prophesied, they have to be!"

"I'm skeptical as to your reasoning behind that," said a tom with watery green eyes, looking on from the shadows of the trees around the clearing, his voice doubting.

"The tom is sturdy like wood, the she-cat is a roaring blaze of energy, and together they will create the fire!"

"If this is truly the solution, I will trust your judgment," said the final she-cat next to Thunderstar, a large black she-cat with a pelt darker than the starless new moon night or the shadows the other tom hid in. "But if you are wrong, the repercussions of our failure to solve this problem are... indescribably horrid, to say the very least. We must act carefully."

"The Clans will _never_ train Kittypets!" spat the other tom of the group, stepping forward into the moonlight as the stars glimmered in his silver pelt, his eyes flashing dangerously with a challenge. "They do not have the blood of our wild ancestors! They are soft, weak! They won't last the first Leaf-bare, nonetheless the first battle!"

"Riverstar!" snapped the lithe brown she-cat, standing to face him. "Don't you know that our own Rogue ancestry has Kittypet blood mixed into it as evenly as brown is mixed into the grass of the moor? We are not weak. Have you not seen the she-cat fight her siblings, as she's grown? She is not weak, either! She has the heart of a warrior, I can feel it!"

"_She_ may," said the silver tabby, his eyes narrowing in distrust and slight defeat. "But the Tom, what of him? He's weaker than a one-year sapling; he would never become a warrior! Answer me this, Windstar, what of him?"

"His destiny," said a charming, somewhat musical voice from behind them, "Lies in my position."

The cats turned to face the voice, some more shocked than others that it had appeared there, a snowy white, star-lit figure stepped lightly into the clearing.

"Mothflight," called Windstar to her former medicine cat, stepping forward toward her in slight confusion. "You mean he is-"

"He has not the strength of the body to be a warrior, no," she said, glancing down into the sparkling pool below them. "But neither did I. No, his strength lies in his mind and his heart. It is a hidden trait, but it will be seen by Kestrelwing easily."

The four former leaders fell silent, their eyes downcast as they thought through the decision they had to make for the good of all of the Clans.

"A warning has to be given," said the soft white she-cat as she walked to the side of the pool and touched her paw to the surface, "We have received this prophecy, now it is time to give it to those who truly need it. ThunderClan shall accept these kits, surely... well, once they are old enough." She said to the others as the Pool's ripples spread away to reveal the face of a dark brown tabby tom. "Good evening, Kestrelwing."

"Wh-what is this?" yelped the tom at seeing these distant ancestors.

The five cats stepped around the pool slowly but decisively as the tom gazed on, his eyes widened with shock as the five cats recited a prophecy that was scented with dread and spiced with strength. A prophecy of help and a prophecy of doom all in one.

_"The sky has fallen, the clans in the black, there is only one fire that will burn bright enough to light it, and they will blaze from a different trail._"

"You and you Clan, Kestrelwing," said Thunderstar to the tom in the pool, his eyes decisive and demanding. "Must be willing to expect and accept the unexpected."

**_4 Moons Later_**

The stillness of the newly breaking dawn showed a recently thawed world in the stillness before the birds started to return and the squirrels came out of their deep winter's sleep. It was a beautiful scene over the twolegplace that morning. The dawn over the trees of the neighboring woods was mystifying in itself, even without the light gray tints to the sky, thin foggy mist, and the utter silence.

Of course, something had to be done to break this serene silence.

"Catch me if you can!" came the mew of a she-kit as she dashed through a large hedgerow and crashed through a flowerbed, seeming to startle the sun into shining on her mottled gray and white fur.

She was followed in close pursuit by a somewhat larger gray tom-kit who was laughing and nearly tripping over his own long tabby fur and somewhat large paws. "I'm going to get you this time!" was his battle cry as he chased the she-cat through the small twoleg garden at the back of one of the dens.

Suddenly, the she-cat turned sharply to the right down a narrow path of tiny river stones.

"Gah!" The tom slid right past the turn on the soft, slippery new grass still wet from morning dew and crashed into a pile of old leaves.

Within the time it took him to squirm mostly out of the pile, the she-kit padded back and moved a leaf from his face. "Got you again, Sylv."

"If you hadn't taken that turn, I would have had you!" mewed the tabby in protest, shaking his gray pelt free of the moldy leaves left there from last leaf-fall.

"Well, I took that turn, didn't I? That means you didn't get me," said the lithe she-cat, her chest puffing out in pride. The tom took a swipe at her nose. "Hey!"

"You're it!" squeaked Sylvester, the gray tabby, turning around and trying to race away from the she-cat before she had time to react.

"Get back here! That's not fair!" Called the she-cat, chasing the tom through the nearest fence, the tiny silver bell on her green collar jingling as she pulled herself the gap between the fence and the ground.

Sylvester laughed back at her and dashed off as fast as he could. He turned the corner that was the fastest path back to the den and found himself face to face with her, her nose literally the width of a mouse-tail away. "What?" he yelped in surprise as she tackled him to the ground laughing.

"That's 5 to 1, Sylv, I think I win," mewed the she-cat, pinning the tom down.

"Oh, let me up, Grace," he said, pushing her off with his paws and turning himself over clumsily to get back on his feet, the gold bell on his blue collar jingling in the effort. "How did you know I would come this way?"

"I'm your sister, I know things," said Grace, swishing her gray tail around her white and gray paws and swiping her tongue over a raised paw to wash her face, "You always head towards the Den."

"And you," he said, pushing his sister down, "always head for the Forest."

"Do not!"

"Do so!"

"You can't prove it!"

"Even though you _know_ it's against the rules, you still go!"

"I don't _mean_ to!" she mewed, looking toward the trees that were just beyond a couple more fences. "But is it so wrong to dream of a world without fences and collars? A world where we can breathe fresh air and eat warm, real food?"

Sylvester shivered at the memory of the Forest. Not that he had been there in person, but his horrible dreams of disaster and war. They had been reoccurring since before he could remember them starting, drawing him to the forest with a sickening desire to find out if these dreams really were only nightmares. "No... there would be other cats wanting your paradise too, Grace. You know that, right?"

"Well, of course, fur-brain!" mewed Grace, her claws flexing. "That's what we're born with claws for!"

Sylvester looked down at his own paws, turning one over and flexing out the rarely-used claws, thinking of all the nights he'd seen cats tearing at each other with their own set of claws, fighting tooth and claw over _something_. It was that something that bothered him. He could never place exactly what these cats were fighting over. That, and he had a dreadful sense that he could help them, heal them like the twoleg white-pelts had healed their mother after she was hit by the monster. He had a strange sense that these wild, ferocious beings of power _needed_ him. He started to feel the pellets he had eaten this morning rising as bile in his throat. "Can we just go home? I'm not feeling good."

"You're never feeling good," said the she-cat, but she sighed and pressed her fur against him. "Come on, Sylv. I'll get you back to our housefolk."

As they padded back along the gravely walks and grassy yards, Sylvester felt as if every stone he touched was weighing him down the closer he got to the forest, but the forest was close to home, so he pushed through it. His sister looked into those dark trees and somehow saw a paradise. An adventure waiting for her to start, if you will, but it wasn't that way to him. To the gray tabby, all he could see with the blue eyes he was given was a dark, shadowy nightmare that never left his thoughts.

A black scar on his otherwise perfect life, this was his definition of the shady pines and menacing oaks. He knew that he might see it differently later on, when the dreams stopped maybe, but in the meantime he wanted nothing to do with the forest or it's secrets.

But something inside him always seemed to pull him back. So maybe he did have some of his sister's longing to know more deep in his heart, but he didn't want the longing there. He wanted to be free of the forest for good. He wanted to be happy.

**OoOoO**

**A/N: So, what did you think? Please R+R, It helps me out! :) **

**With all due respect,**

**GraecusUnknown  
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